i'm sorry but this is BEYOND trivial ..... and sounds like a bunch of damn WHINERS to me!
I have to say I completely agree. I just couldn't see what the problem was. I was expecting awful maltreatment akin to the worst sweatshops. What we actually had was someone upset that they were set targets (which they clearly didn't even have to meet) and who nearly had a breakdown because their machine beeped at them... oh, and who had a blister.
What a joke. Personally I thought it looked like quite a good job.
Hardly a "shock", "horror" report. There are far more physically demanding jobs and I'm sure there are plenty of people willing to do the work. I thought it came across as a bit of winging.
Wow, that's disgraceful. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with treating their staff so badly.
They get away with it by keeping us on agencies so they can get rid of us anytime , some are employed by Amazon direct but most of us are with angencies. Recently a well known agency pulled out of the distribution centre i'm at.
It's better than the alternative option though i guess.
They really should employ more staff to help with this issue, some of those targets seem unrealistic for some. And i bet they don't do medical checks or fitness test's to see if each individuals target goal is realistic for there health levels...not to mention i bet they employ few overweight people lol.
Hardly a "shock", "horror" report. There are far more physically demanding jobs and I'm sure there are plenty of people willing to do the work. I thought it came across as a bit of winging.
Not sure what to make of it, someone mentioned the 21st Century work ethic ( or lack of it) and whether that is a factor.
They do get 3 days off though , many places have night shifts spread over 5 nights at 8 hours apiece meaning barely 2 days off.
That all said, their absence/sick policy appears very very dodgy indeed, especially around people being taken ill at work.
Hardly a "shock", "horror" report. There are far more physically demanding jobs and I'm sure there are plenty of people willing to do the work. I thought it came across as a bit of winging.
I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be saying that if you were working for them. It's easy to sit behind a computer screen and say it's not so bad really but spend a day in their shoes and then pass judgement.
Not exactly anything surprising and not exclusive to Amazon either.
TESCO are notorious for driving their pickers like slaves.Same timed scanner thing as well.I think it's fairly common practice in these massive warehouses.
From what I saw it seems like there were too many Chiefs and not enough Indians.A culture of fear and looking over your shoulder all the time.
I notice all of Amazons responses were regards Permanent contract workers.All agency people,no matter where they work are always treated like dirt.Of course as long as the shareholders and customers are happy,the little people trying to earn a living are forgotten about.
Companies like Amazon and job pimping agencies are the perfect partners.
I also work at Amazon's fulfilment centre in Swansea as a picker (day shift mind).
Whilst the guy does make some good points about the miles of walking (I still struggle with it and my feet always hurt at the end of each shift), with regards to the picking job itself I somehow think he's deliberately not pulling his weight. How can he be not reaching his target after seven weeks? I regularly hit 110 and I've been here 5 weeks. It's not that hard once you get used to the locations.
He looks much fitter than I do yet he seems to find carrying the trolley very strenuous - we are advised as part of manual handling how to maneuver it. Yet he seems to be turning it around between the rows of shelving when most of us find it better to leave it in the aisles (and he's on the night shift so there's plenty of room to do just that).
And most of us ignore the countdown timer, it's merely a (largely inaccurate) estimate of how long it should take you to reach the pick bin and whether or not you reach it on time has no bearing on your target.
As for the error beeps, he must be deliberately scanning the wrong location or product barcode. Helps if you pay attention.
The most important thing they have failed to highlight in the programme tonight is the compulsory overtime at for employees at Amazon which has come into effect this week actually - we have gone from working 40 hours over 4 days to 50 over 5, and refusal to accept the overtime will result in points. And next week and the week after it will be 55 hours - so basically an extra hour a day. I kid you not. This is all covered in the employment contract but it's hardly ethical, and this is what needs addressing. Then again, the guy probably resigned before this was announced. a couple of weeks back.
Hardly a "shock", "horror" report. There are far more physically demanding jobs and I'm sure there are plenty of people willing to do the work. I thought it came across as a bit of winging.
The most important thing they have failed to highlight in the programme tonight is the compulsory overtime at for employees at Amazon which has come into effect this week actually - we have gone from working 40 hours over 4 days to 50 over 5, and refusal to accept the overtime will result in points. And next week and the week after it will be 55 hours - so basically an extra hour a day. I kid you not. This is all covered in the employment contract but it's hardly ethical, and this is what needs addressing. Then again, the guy probably resigned before this was announced. a couple of weeks back.
How does that tally with the EU working time directive? Sounds illegal to me
The most important thing they have failed to highlight in the programme tonight is the compulsory overtime at for employees at Amazon which has come into effect this week actually - we have gone from working 40 hours over 4 days to 50 over 5, and refusal to accept the overtime will result in points. And next week and the week after it will be 55 hours - so basically an extra hour a day. I kid you not. This is all covered in the employment contract but it's hardly ethical, and this is what needs addressing. Then again, the guy probably resigned before this was announced. a couple of weeks back.
Compulsory overtime sounds more like 'forced labour' to me.
I would like to do 4 x 10 hour shifts but there is no way I could do any extra if forced to.
How does that tally with the EU working time directive? Sounds illegal to me
EU WTD is toothless in this country, the government negotiated an opt-out.
Legally, they do have to give you the option of opting in to the law and in turn if you opt in they have to keep to it, but with things like agencies and zero-hour contracts it's all very easy for people who do opt in to mysteriously not get offered any work.
How does that tally with the EU working time directive? Sounds illegal to me
They make you work 6 days a week taking you up to 48 hours at busy times. I think those on the 10 hour shifts it's upped from 4 days to 5 days a week 50 hours.
The picker who works in Swansea it doesn't help when the Stowers wrongly scan the bins too , this creates problems for the pickers.
I was moved from Stowing onto packing and they never trained me on packing all i had was a guy showing me what to do and that was that , i never did pack school. Luckily the guy working next to me knew his stuff and got me on the right track.
If i made any mistakes i was issued with a error and 4 errors = sacked. After jusy 1 day training on stowing they were issuing people with errors even though the first week is classed as training week.
On packing i got 3 errors as i hadn't been trained i was lucky my manager stood up for me and got 2 errors removed.
Compulsory overtime sounds more like 'forced labour' to me.
I would like to do 4 x 10 hour shifts but there is no way I could do any extra if forced to.
A few coworkers I know have spoken to their respective agencies with their concerns about the overtime - the best they could offer them is the choice of whether to start early or finish late. :rolleyes:
They can refuse the overtime if they want to - but then they shouldn't expect to be in the job beyond Christmas.
A few coworkers I know have spoken to their respective agencies with their concerns about the overtime - the best they could offer them is the choice of whether to start early or finish late. :rolleyes:
They can refuse the overtime if they want to - but then they shouldn't expect to be in the job beyond Christmas.
It's bad enough they are agency staff. That means they get fewer workers rights.
I can't get too worked up about people being required to walk six miles in a shift. I've walked three miles each way to jobs before now and done a days work on top (admittedly these were sit-down jobs)
What I do think is bad is the amount of people working nights. I think there are too many people generally working nights where it isn't needed, but this isn't just an Amazon thing.........
Comments
I have to say I completely agree. I just couldn't see what the problem was. I was expecting awful maltreatment akin to the worst sweatshops. What we actually had was someone upset that they were set targets (which they clearly didn't even have to meet) and who nearly had a breakdown because their machine beeped at them... oh, and who had a blister.
What a joke. Personally I thought it looked like quite a good job.
Wow, that's disgraceful. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with treating their staff so badly.
They get away with it by keeping us on agencies so they can get rid of us anytime , some are employed by Amazon direct but most of us are with angencies. Recently a well known agency pulled out of the distribution centre i'm at.
It's better than the alternative option though i guess.
Good luck then :rolleyes:
We shouldn't have a 'race to the bottom'.
Workers shouldn't be treated like robots.
They do get 3 days off though , many places have night shifts spread over 5 nights at 8 hours apiece meaning barely 2 days off.
That all said, their absence/sick policy appears very very dodgy indeed, especially around people being taken ill at work.
I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be saying that if you were working for them. It's easy to sit behind a computer screen and say it's not so bad really but spend a day in their shoes and then pass judgement.
TESCO are notorious for driving their pickers like slaves.Same timed scanner thing as well.I think it's fairly common practice in these massive warehouses.
From what I saw it seems like there were too many Chiefs and not enough Indians.A culture of fear and looking over your shoulder all the time.
I notice all of Amazons responses were regards Permanent contract workers.All agency people,no matter where they work are always treated like dirt.Of course as long as the shareholders and customers are happy,the little people trying to earn a living are forgotten about.
Companies like Amazon and job pimping agencies are the perfect partners.
Whilst the guy does make some good points about the miles of walking (I still struggle with it and my feet always hurt at the end of each shift), with regards to the picking job itself I somehow think he's deliberately not pulling his weight. How can he be not reaching his target after seven weeks? I regularly hit 110 and I've been here 5 weeks. It's not that hard once you get used to the locations.
He looks much fitter than I do yet he seems to find carrying the trolley very strenuous - we are advised as part of manual handling how to maneuver it. Yet he seems to be turning it around between the rows of shelving when most of us find it better to leave it in the aisles (and he's on the night shift so there's plenty of room to do just that).
And most of us ignore the countdown timer, it's merely a (largely inaccurate) estimate of how long it should take you to reach the pick bin and whether or not you reach it on time has no bearing on your target.
As for the error beeps, he must be deliberately scanning the wrong location or product barcode. Helps if you pay attention.
The most important thing they have failed to highlight in the programme tonight is the compulsory overtime at for employees at Amazon which has come into effect this week actually - we have gone from working 40 hours over 4 days to 50 over 5, and refusal to accept the overtime will result in points. And next week and the week after it will be 55 hours - so basically an extra hour a day. I kid you not. This is all covered in the employment contract but it's hardly ethical, and this is what needs addressing. Then again, the guy probably resigned before this was announced. a couple of weeks back.
My thoughts too.
Compulsory overtime sounds more like 'forced labour' to me.
I would like to do 4 x 10 hour shifts but there is no way I could do any extra if forced to.
EU WTD is toothless in this country, the government negotiated an opt-out.
Legally, they do have to give you the option of opting in to the law and in turn if you opt in they have to keep to it, but with things like agencies and zero-hour contracts it's all very easy for people who do opt in to mysteriously not get offered any work.
They make you work 6 days a week taking you up to 48 hours at busy times. I think those on the 10 hour shifts it's upped from 4 days to 5 days a week 50 hours.
The picker who works in Swansea it doesn't help when the Stowers wrongly scan the bins too , this creates problems for the pickers.
I was moved from Stowing onto packing and they never trained me on packing all i had was a guy showing me what to do and that was that , i never did pack school. Luckily the guy working next to me knew his stuff and got me on the right track.
If i made any mistakes i was issued with a error and 4 errors = sacked. After jusy 1 day training on stowing they were issuing people with errors even though the first week is classed as training week.
On packing i got 3 errors as i hadn't been trained i was lucky my manager stood up for me and got 2 errors removed.
Exactly, Currys/PC World warehouses very similar. Again mainly agency workers.
A few coworkers I know have spoken to their respective agencies with their concerns about the overtime - the best they could offer them is the choice of whether to start early or finish late. :rolleyes:
They can refuse the overtime if they want to - but then they shouldn't expect to be in the job beyond Christmas.
It's bad enough they are agency staff. That means they get fewer workers rights.
What I do think is bad is the amount of people working nights. I think there are too many people generally working nights where it isn't needed, but this isn't just an Amazon thing.........